while climbing over new year's weekend at the ice park in Ouray, we met a couple from Russia that were climbing with what they called a "fee fah." this is only a phonetic spelling since i don't know any Russian. the device was a very sharp hook with a handle on it and a hole at the bottom of the hook through which a cordelette was tied. the cord hung about 1 1/2 meters below the hook and was looped around the climber's boot(with crampons on). each time the climber wanted to ascend higher, he merely placed the hook into any small depression in the ice and then used his weight to set the hook by pushing downward with his foot. each set was similar to aid climbing. the climber had a hook in each hand. they told us that the tool had been around for some time and was used in Russia and Europe. I've been traveling around Europe for the last 12 winters and have never seen such a device. is there another name for this? does anyone have a pattern for the "fee fah?" has anyone else seen this device in use?

-- Joe Puchek (skitour@youngminds.com), January 02, 2001

Answers

SOunds like a "fifi" hook, which is commonly used in aid climbing, although I've never seen one with a handle... Maybe something similar that was developed for ice climbing...

-- Jim Leininger (leining@us.ibm.com), January 09, 2001.

Hi! Sorry my simple english! You talking about "Ice Fi- Fi". All russian mountaineers knows and use them. Very good stuff for steep ice! I dont know about anower world but here in Estonia and also in Russia its no problem to buy them. If You can read russian or have friends, who can, look at http://www.progressor.ru:8080/outdoor/snar/specsgor.htm#Àéñ-ôèôû

With best regards, Valdek from Tallinn, Estonia

-- Valdek Udris (valdek@hotmail.com), January 14, 2001.

DMM, a Welsh company along with Charlet Moser and a few other make Bull Dogs - A serrated pitton/ice peg. Sounds pretty similar, apart from aid, they're good in frozen turf, bad ice and iced up cracks for protection.

-- Andrew Huddart (anomoose@yahoo.com), June 13, 2001.